CHENNAI: It was a quiet day at Delhi’s airport in March 1995, the kind where every sound — a crying toddler, the silence of a bored official, the tap of the rain — seems amplified. Amid the chaos, the narrator of The Scent of Fallen Stars finds himself caught in the peculiar energy of the city, an India both bewildering and intoxicating.
This unsettling start to the journey foreshadows the complex web of identity and secrets that Aishwarya Jha, debut novelist and winner of this year’s Ramnath Goenka Sahithya Samman (Best Debut Fiction) by The New Indian Express Group, so skillfully weaves in her first novel.
“Writing has always been my greatest dream,” she says, recalling childhood visits to bookstores, inhaling the intoxicating scent of paper and wood. But much like her characters, the path wasn’t straightforward.
After countless rejections from literary magazines, she persisted, honing her craft through plays and short stories. “Writing plays taught me to craft dialogue and get to the heart of a scene quickly. You only have ten minutes in a one-act play, so every word has to count. It taught me to edit ruthlessly — if it doesn’t serve the story, it goes,” she says.
The Scent of Fallen Stars, which explores the turbulent intersection of personal histories and India’s evolving landscape, quickly earned a place among the most celebrated debut works of the year.
Its layered narrative delves into the lives of two characters, Aria and Will, whose personal histories — much like India itself — are marked by contradictions, hidden truths, and a constant search for belonging. Like the characters in her novel, this author’s journey has been about discovering her place in a world that constantly shifts, whether through the lens of a city like Delhi or the unpredictable nature of the writing world itself.
“Initially, my book wasn’t aligned with market trends. I heard, ‘You’re a great writer, but we don’t know how to position this.’
But when my editor saw it, he just got it,” she says. The Scent of Fallen Stars ultimately found its place not only in literary circles but also in readers’ hearts.
Aishwarya admits that she didn’t expect the kind of recognition she’s now receiving. “To get this award for something I’ve poured my heart into is incredible,” she says, reflecting on the validation of years of perseverance. Writing, after all, can be an isolating pursuit.
“You send your words into the world, hoping they’ll resonate, and when they do, it feels like everything you’ve worked for has come together.” She didn’t expect this award either. “Every writer hopes for some success, but an award like this? I hadn’t even dreamed of it. When I found out, it took a while to sink in,” she says.
Exploring relations
In The Scent of Fallen Stars, Aishwarya captures the beauty of understated yet profound human connections through simple, everyday moments reflecting how life — much like writing — often unfolds through small but meaningful exchanges. One such moment occurs when Will nervously asks Leela for help with Hindi lessons. His awkward request is the beginning of a deeper bond between them. These small interactions, full of hesitation and warmth, reflect the complexity of relationships and the journey of self-discovery that runs through the novel.
Set in Delhi of the 90s — a city she has always loved and at times, been frustrated by — adds a layer of charm. “Those sections of the story are filled with simpler moments, perhaps because of the time period,” Aishwarya explains. “I wanted to bring that era alive because I have so much nostalgia for it. Life felt less hurried, and connections were forged through shared spaces and quieter gestures.”
Talking about her love-hate relationship with the city, Aishwarya says, “After living abroad, I realised how much the city meant to me. It’s challenging, congested, and impossible at times, but there’s something uniquely beautiful about it. My novel is an ode to Delhi, seen through the eyes of two characters who discover the city for the first time.” It’s this blend of personal and professional that makes Aishwarya’s achievement so poignant.
Now an award-winning author for her debut novel, Aishwarya offers heartfelt advice for aspiring writers: “There are lots of pieces of advice that float around, and they all have merit — whether it’s to write something every day or take your work around. You have to have a writer’s mindset. An artist’s vision of the world is different from a normal person’s vision. Even with writing, whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, you’re telling the truth, and everything you should look at is through the lens of a writer. Anything that strikes you, write it down and look at it from a writer’s eye.”
Looking ahead, Aishwarya shares that her next book will be very different. “This one was about the beauty of relationships, but my second novel explores the complexities of family relationships,” she says, hinting at a new direction in her writing.